A new type of development is on tap at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base that military and business leaders said is intended to speed up innovation.
Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine and U.S. Rep. Mike Turner joined representatives from JobsOhio, the Dayton Development Coalition, Wright-Patt and private company Synergy for a groundbreaking on Thursday, March 12, 2026, on a 88,000 square foot building.
The development on base is an enhanced use lease project — or EUL — that allows private businesses or government contractors to lease land or buildings from the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Synergy project on base is called Stratos. It includes a 44-acre development on two parcels of land along National Road in Bath Township and Colonel Glenn Highway in Beavercreek Township.
Stratos could be defined in two words, Synergy CEO Jerad Barnett said.
“Innovation accelerated," he told attendees. "So this building will be a $30 million investment that will probably grow to $35 million, closer to $40 million, by the time we put everything in it with our defense clients needs. And we’ll have five of those buildings on this campus and an additional three or four on our Stratos Valley Campus, just over the hill on Colonel Glenn for a total of over $250 million of private investment to support Wright-Patt and the Air Force.”
Col. Dustin Richards, commander of the 88th Air Base Wing, said this first-of-its-kind collaboration between Wright-Patt and Synergy will lead to other private/public partnerships.
“By bringing this office space in this enhanced use lease development to fruition, it is going to enhance those relationships," he said. "It’s going to foster the collaboration, it’s going to continue to build on the foundation of innovation in aerospace that stretches all the way back to the Wright brothers in this area."
Wright-Patt is one of the nation’s premier centers for aerospace research and national security, said Turner, R-Dayton.
“The Wright-Patt EUL is an innovative use of federal property that strengthens collaboration between the Air Force, industry and academic partners while bringing new investment and opportunity to the Dayton region," Turner said. "By leveraging these partnerships, we are ensuring Wright-Patt remains at the forefront of innovation and national defense for decades to come.”
Tenants haven’t been announced yet, but officials said several have signed on so far.
JobsOhio supported the project, which was first announced in February 2025, with a $2 million grant.
